​Apparent Houthi attacks on Abu Dhabi highlights vulnerabilities to drones

GULF COUNTRIES - In Brief 17 Jan 2022 by Justin Alexander

Preliminary indications suggest that fires in Abu Dhabi, which killed three people at a fuel depot and disrupted the airport, were caused by drones. The Houthi rebels in Yemen have claimed responsibility. The market impact so far has been relatively muted but could become more significant if there are further attacks, particularly on critical oil facilities or civilian targets. What we know so far Fires broke around mid-day January 17 at two locations in Abu Dhabi. The most serious was at an Adnoc fuel storage area in the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi, a zone on the southwestern corner of Abu Dhabi’s main metropolitan area (map). It is also very close to Al Dhafra Air Base, which hosts US and French military forces as well as many of the UAE’s own F-16 and Mirage jets. The fire led to the explosion of three petrol tankers which killed three expatriate workers and injured six others. The other fire was about 15 miles northwest at Abu Dhabi International Airport, although at an area of new construction rather than the currently operating facilities. The state media reported that preliminary investigations suggested the fires had been started by small flying objects, possibly drones (WAM, Nat). The UAE has not yet formal attributed responsibility for the incidents but, after reports of the incidents emerged, the Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed they had launched an attack in the UAE and would provide more details soon (YS). Al Jazeera has a good live update page on the incident. The Houthis have a strong motive, given the UAE’s role in the war in Yemen, and have repeatedly attacked Saudi Arabia for the same reason. However, the distance of Abu Dhabi, nearly 1,000 miles from ...

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